Ails of Aisle seat.

Even with fewer luggages, the rail journey, in a chair car, will not be a comfortable one. Co-passengers may not be aware of this age old adage of the Railways and board the train thinking it as the last “Ark of Noah”.

Unfortunately, the Railways have not come up with any restriction on the size & weight of the luggage accompanying a passenger. Even if, some restriction is enforced, the intelligent passenger will co-opt other passengers to beat the weight rule.

This leaves out the size of the luggage, as the Railways being a Terra fir-ma transport, has not contemplated regulations in lines with air travel – volumetric & weight specifications for cabin & “hold” luggage. We are aware that the air lines charge excess baggage, as a deterrent!

The absence of such a regulation results in ….  Please read further.

The luggage pieces brought in by the passenger, sport an airline’s stickers to proudly announce their just landed status. May be they are glad to breathe air-conditioned air, a relief from the stifling transcontinental flight, in the aircraft's’ belly.

The passenger bringing in such a luggage himself gets carried away by the feeling that he has just flown in. How many actually hold on to the security tag, for a false sense of superiority, is something that we would not ponder about today

The struggle to maneuver the pieces through the narrow door, drag it in the aisle way and stow it on the over head rack, if successful, is tougher than a ballet dance (or) an Olympic gymnastic event. All through these exercises, the owner of the luggage gives a damn for the inconveniences caused to fellow travellers.

At the door he will hold other travellers from getting inside, while trying to squeeze the tightly packed luggage, broad side. It never will occur to him to take the piece sideways – a logical move!

Once inside the compartment, he will start a visual survey to find a suitable spot for setting down his precious luggage. Passengers who managed to get in will stay blocked as long as this gentleman is satisfied with the luggage placing arrangement.

On the way, he will target the body parts of the aisle seat occupants. Eye glasses get dislodged, noses are smashed, shoulders are crushed and toes are scrapped.

The inconvenience caused by this sort of out-sized luggage pieces, on the aisle seated, is to be experienced to be believed. It increases as the train stops at intermediate stations, taking in more passengers & more heavy luggage’s. Absence of the tell tale stickers makes one wonder if the man and his baggage are in a “ready to fly” status.

These aisle passengers get a firsthand experience on force, weight and impact – a physics class on wheels!

The aggravation increases if the maneuvers are carried out when the train is on the move and the lugger shoulders a free–to- dangle bag. He exempts none of the aisle seaters.

After these exercises - if he does not find a suitable place (or) the luggage does not fit in to the rack – he simply leaves it in the aisle. All the time, it will be left a little away from his seat such that he can maintain a visual contact with it throughout the journey.

By the time he settles down, the train will reach another stop and one more passenger will enact the episode one more time (or is it an encore?).

You pray that the coach gets filled only with point to point travellers. If inevitable at least let it get filled with in two or three scheduled stops.

Wait. This is not the happy end. There are others to torment the aisle seaters – passengers using the aisle as thoroughfare to move from one compartment to another, the interminable procession of catering staffs from pantry car, the unauthorised vendors en-training /de-training at will.

The catering staffs deserve a special mention over the unauthorised ones. The catering staff will rest the plastic tray of eatable on the back rest of the nearest aisle seat. He does not ask for permission nor can be told to set the tray elsewhere.

In dispensing eatables, with chutney or sauce, some liquid may spill on your shirt and pant. He tenders an apology and a paper towel. The picture that flashes in your mind will be one when you ducked bird droppings from heaven – being alert and taking the best evasive action possible is the only solution.

You are right in concluding that the inventor of the vestibule is the root cause of all these troubles – aisle being used as thoroughfare and pantry car becoming part of the vestibule train.

Being observant, nothing of this sort escapes Bystander’s attention. He already carries a grudge on the Railways and its’ passengers. On the spur of that moment, his agitated mind framed the following suggestions for the Railway Authorities. .

The Railways should come up with standard size for the luggage – (1) Aisle width- 3” (or) (2) door width-3” with a conditional clause “whichever is less”. Alternatively change the size of the over head rack and ban keeping luggage's in the Aisle. To take matter in hand, the Railways can attach a mini luggage van for each Chair Car and on chargeable basis. This will add to the revenue too!

He suddenly remembered his school teacher saying that “every theorem has a rider” This put the fear of the Railway authorities in him.

What if..What if?  He shuddered to think what will happen if, in their over reach, the said Authorities decide to levy a “comfort surcharge” exclusively on aisle seat passengers?

Bystander started to think about alternate strategies. If you have any, please contact him.